Preparation of the Shape–Controlled Rutile Nano–TiO2 by Low Temperature Hydrothermal Method

The pure rutile phase nano-TiO_2 was prepared by low temperature hydrothermal method using titanium tetrachloride as reaction precursors.The effects of reaction temperature and reaction time on the microstructure and the morphology of the TiO_2 samples were investigated.The X-ray diffraction patterns showed that all of the TiO_2 samples were pure rutile phase.The average crystallite size was found to vary in the range of 4.0-11.5 nm.Fourier transform infrared spectra and thermogravimetry analysis showed that the nano-TiO_2 samples have surface hydroxyl group and surface adsorbed water.Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the morphology and average size of the synthesized rutile nano-TiO_2 were strongly effected by both hydrothermal reaction temperature and time.The rutile nano-TiO_2 shows a similar shuttle-like morphology and were bunched together at the reaction temperature of 60-80℃,however,at the reaction temperature above 120℃they tended to resolve into spherical particles and attained larger sizes.The morphology of the rutile nano-TiO_2 samples changed form rod-like to shuttlelike and spherical-like with increase of reaction time from 4 h to 40 h.